I have another one, saw 15.1.2012 in Kgalagadi my book (not a good one, I'm afraid !) speak about Spek's Hingeback, or similar for Eastern Bostwana and adjacent South Africa : Lobatse Hingeback (K. lobatsiana)

what do you think ?

thanks in advance for a reply

_________________It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eyeLe Petit Prince

:hmz: flat...."____" this line is flat and this one "(" is not flat... it's not easy to describe so the designs are like that :_______ and not () () ()

Great explaination, anne-marie English can be a very confusing sort of language, I think that we would say 'rectangular' (or even 'square') patterns versus 'oval' (or 'curved') patterns on the shell. I think that there is considerable variety in the markings of leopard tortoises, and while I'm absolutely NO expert, I still think that this is a leopard tortoise — and a very nice one, too.

A Leopard Tortoise in the road close to Lower-Sabie in the Kruger National Park.

Did You Know?The Leopard Tortoise is easily the largest species of tortoise in Southern Africa.

_________________"A roaring lion kills no game.""Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be heroes.""If you kill a tree, you are killing a bird."“When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”

A Leopard Tortoise in the road close to Lower-Sabie in the Kruger National Park.

Did You Know?The Leopard Tortoise derives its name from the dark spots on the carapace.

_________________"A roaring lion kills no game.""Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be heroes.""If you kill a tree, you are killing a bird."“When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”

A Leopard Tortoise in the road close to Lower-Sabie in the Kruger National Park.

Did You Know?Very large and old Leopard Tortoise may become almost completely plain dull brown.

_________________"A roaring lion kills no game.""Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be heroes.""If you kill a tree, you are killing a bird."“When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”

"Two varieties of leopard tortoises are often recognized. One is Geochelone p. pardalis, the other is Geochelone p. babcocki. The former is the larger of the two, found in restricted areas of the eastern and southern Cape Province of South Africa, and recognized by a more pronounced plastral cavity in males. The smaller babcocki occurs elsewhere within the extensive range of our reptilian leopard and generally boasts a more vivid color/pattern combination, plus a plastral depression that covers only the posterior third of males. However, these are merely general differences as a great variety of color/pattern/size combinations exist in any given region, especially when young and very old specimens are involved. I tend to agree with Boycott and Bourquin (1988) that the validity of babcocki is not at all justified by such small and often contradictory factors."

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum